New Taco Bell Cantina in West Campus Has Students Buzzing
Taco Bell left Warren Towers in 2006. Now, almost a decade and a half later, it has returned to the Charles River Campus: this time to 872 Comm Ave, on West Campus. Photo by Jacob Chang-Rascle (COM’22)
New Taco Bell Cantina in West Campus Has Students Buzzing
Cheap Mexican favorites, and alcohol, at Comm Ave spot
There are three things on BU students’ minds right now: the election, the ongoing pandemic, and Taco. Bell. Cantina. Yes, it is finally here.
After the Taco Bell in the bottom of Warren Towers shut down in 2006, students were never short of Mexican options, with Chipotle, Sunset Cantina, and Qdoba all close by. Yet the bold, iconic flavor combinations found only at Taco Bell were missed by Terrier stomachs up and down Comm Ave.
Now, almost a decade and a half later, the Bell has returned: this time in West Campus, at 872 Commonwealth Avenue.
What sets this Taco Bell apart is the “Cantina” designation. That means it has a slightly different menu and serves beer, wine, and freezes, which are basically slushies, with or without alcohol, and include the famous and exclusive Baja Blast flavor, added by Mountain Dew.
Aside from the alcohol, the Taco Bell Cantina looks pretty much like any other Taco Bell. Hungry students can grab classics like a Crunchwrap (a flour tortilla layered with seasoned beef, nacho cheese sauce, a crispy tostada shell, then grilled), a Cheesy Gordita Crunch (a typical taco tucked in a flatbread), and Cinnabon Delights for dessert. Plus, even though it is not on the menu board, they will make Grilled Cheese Burritos and Quesaritos (a quesadilla rolled like a burrito). And even more important: my request for a Quesarito was not met with bemusement or hesitation from the counter worker.
Eater.com reports that the new spot doesn’t have a website or mobile ordering set up yet, so you’ll have to place your order in person.
Minji Kwak (Pardee’23, CAS’23) hopes that the excitement around the new restaurant dies down soon, mostly so the lines won’t be as long when she goes in the future.
“I think people are going because of the hype surrounding it and because it is something new on campus,” Kwak says, and people are looking for new things to help with COVID-19 fatigue. Taco Bell was smart to open up during election week, she says, because students needed some comfort food while they watched election results shows.
Rishab Nayak (CAS’21) had followed the development of this Taco Bell since last spring, when he found a sign advertising jobs there before anyone on campus knew about it. He took a photo of the sign and put it on the BU Reddit page, where it received 201 upvotes. Nayak has been waiting for a Taco Bell to pop up near campus since his first day at BU, and he says that it might just be the cheapest food on campus.
Not only is the food inexpensive and tasty, but the restaurant stays open for takeout until 1 am every night except Saturday, when it closes at 2 am. So, yes, it will be there to tide you over through late-night study sessions.
Before the West Campus one opened, Nayak says, he had to schlep to Cambridge for the nearest branch, which closes at 7 pm every night and is not easy to get to. But the wait for the new BU one was definitely worth it, he says.
“This is one that doesn’t skimp on the meat,” Nayak says. “By far, this has been my best Taco Bell experience.”
Comments & Discussion
Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.